Simpson, Bowles propose $600 billion in Medicare cuts

[jsr]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/19/us-usa-obama-deficits-idUSBRE91I0P820130219

Simpson, Bowles propose $2.4 trillion U.S. deficit reduction
WASHINGTON | Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:58pm EST

(Reuters) - Two key deficit experts on Tuesday offered an updated plan to reduce U.S. government deficit spending by $2.4 trillion over 10 years through a combination of spending cuts, a healthcare overhaul and tax reform.

The proposal came from Erskine Bowles, a Democrat who served as President Bill Clinton's chief of staff, and former Republican senator Alan Simpson, the co-chairmen of a former fiscal commission that President Barack Obama launched during his first term. It adds to the Washington debate on what to do about $1 trillion in annual deficits and a $16 trillion national debt...

Their latest proposal would target $600 billion in cuts over 10 years to the nation's healthcare system under Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs for the elderly, disabled and poor...

The plan does not include vouchers or other means of helping people pay their premiums...

[msongs]

1. how many defective-by-design f-35s is $600 billion...

"Lightning will ground F35 fighter jet known as the Lightning II
Britain’s £150 million new combat jet has been banned from flying in bad weather amid fears that it could explode."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9813125/Lightning-will-ground-F35-fighter-jet-known-as-the-Lightning-II.html

[OceanEcosystem]

2. You're talking something spread out over the course of many years.

Spread out several hundred billion over several decades and that's only relatively few billions per year.


And then you have to consider what would have to be done with the remaining F-16s and F-18s for their refurbishment or replacement.

[WinkyDink]

12. So you plan on not aging?

[KamaAina]

3. The Cat Food Commission was, like, SO 2011

[Hard Assets]

4. I propose that these two idiots look into auditing the Department of Defense budgets

and all related military budgets.

Let's see if you can cut waste. Like that stupid F-35 - Absolutely ZERO reason for it.

Go sell it to the British or even the Israelis.

[OceanEcosystem]

5. The British and Israelis are already buying the F-35. You're behind on the news.

[Hard Assets]

6. ALL of the F-35

including the design, the plans, the schematics, everything.

We do not need to spend money building these crap.

[OceanEcosystem]

8. Replacements

For the F-16s and F-18s.

Doesn't matter if you are arguing for replacement of the F-16s and F-18s on a basis of similar platforms - i.e., newer and more Falcons and Super Hornets. The US government will be spending a large sum of money either way.


Unless you're arguing for no F-16 and F-18 replacements, in which case the United States is left with no carrier-capable fighter jets, and only a relatively modest number of Eagles and Raptors.

[azurnoir]

9. yes the Israelis are with money we gave them to do that

75% of the $3 billion we give them every year must be spent on American arms

[HiPointDem]

7. they are leeches sucking on the gov't teat while they defund it for the peons

[DearHeart]

10. Did someone actually ask these two jackasses for their opinions?

Yes, lets cut the healthcare for the poorest of the poor (disabled, elderly and poor people)! Bastards! They'd of course still be receiving their premium gold-standard healthcare...never effects jackasses like them!

Austerity doesn't work! Didn't they learn that from Greece, Spain, and England, who entered a triple-dip recession thanks to austerity??
I've read that the US has at least a 1000 intelligence agencies, etc., and there is no way to make cuts there? None of these agencies or the work they do is redundant?

This pisses me off so badly!! The freakin unemployment rate is going jump no matter what these SOBs do! If you cut across the board, then everyone is at risk. If you cut the military budget, how many of those people will end up on the unemployment rolls. If you cut Medicaid and Medicare, healthcare workers will be out on the unemployment lines, and the poor, disabled and elderly will be SOL!! When you've been out of work for over a year and a half with no job in sight, this is enough to make you feel a little panicked!!

We NEED JOBS!! Revenue is the answer, not cuts!

[forestpath]

11. President Obama chose these two for a reason. There is simply no way to spin it otherwise.